Here we go again. The politically motivated estrangement between India and Pakistan in bilateral cricket adds a heightened sense of anticipation when they clash at an ICC event, even though it has happened 12 times across 11 tournaments in the past 13 years.
This time, however, is different. India and Pakistan are playing in New York. The ICC hopes the 34,000-seater stadium, which was rapidly constructed in just five months, will be filled to capacity to showcase cricket’s most intense rivalry to the American audience. While the crowd may not match Melbourne’s numbers or be as one-sided as Ahmedabad, it promises to be a contest worthy of the occasion.
“The pitch is much better today,” Ravi Shastri told Cricbuzz after overseeing the toss for the Canada vs. Ireland game on Friday.
His observation proved accurate as the match featured a more balanced contest between bat and ball than seen recently.
As previously reported, the International Cricket Council (ICC) took steps to ensure the match wouldn’t be a low-scoring affair due to the hazardous nature of the pitch.
Read More: Kylian Mbappe’s Real Madrid Transfer: Behind-the-Scenes Drama Revealed
India vs Pakistan: Match Preview
For perhaps the first time ever, the pitch has attracted more attention than the India-Pakistan game itself. Typically, the focus would be on the fierce rivalry, key individual match-ups, and whether Pakistan can break India’s World Cup dominance. However, with Pakistan’s formidable pace attack—comprising Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf—expected to play on Sunday, concerns about the pitch’s behavior are heightened.
If this fixture didn’t already have enough riding on it, Pakistan added extra drama with their stunning meltdown against the USA in Dallas. Babar Azam’s side crumbled under pressure against Virat Kohli in a high-stakes finish in 2022 and were thoroughly outplayed in 2023. Another loss to India on Sunday would leave their chances of qualifying for the Super Eights dependent on other results. In contrast, Rohit Sharma’s team isn’t under the same pressure, having already secured a win against Ireland in their first game.
In addition to the pitch, the new ball will be a critical focus, with wickets likely to fall quickly due to its shine, swing, and bounce. As a result, the PowerPlay overs will be crucial, not for the runs scored but for the wickets lost. Caution rather than aggression will be essential.
In the last Twenty20 World Cup match between these teams at the MCG in 2022, India faced a different set of conditions but still found themselves at 31 for 4 in 6.1 overs—a far from ideal start. However, they managed to chase down 160 to win the game, largely thanks to Virat Kohli’s brilliance.
Based on New York’s record, batters can capitalize once the ball gets older, making wickets in hand more valuable than runs scored in the first half of the innings. India couldn’t have a better opening pair to handle such a scenario. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli possess the experience and skills necessary to tackle the new ball challenge effectively.
However, there are key match-up situations to consider. Rohit Sharma is known to be vulnerable to left-arm pacers, and Pakistan has two of the best in Afridi and Amir. Similarly, Kohli’s past encounters with Rauf suggest that the early overs could be crucial in determining the game’s outcome. With limited assistance for spin, batters can target the spinners, and from an Indian perspective, Shivam Dube’s ability to attack spinners is significant.
India could benefit from strategically timing Dube’s arrival at the crease to force Pakistan, who have two spinners in Shadab Khan and Iftikhar Ahmed, to adjust their plans. This could create opportunities for other Indian batters to score throughout the innings. Additionally, including Kuldeep Yadav, given his match-winning abilities and impressive record against Pakistan, may also prove advantageous.
After their loss to underdogs USA, Pakistan finds themselves in a difficult situation. However, such scenarios are not new for Babar Azam’s team, as they have a history of unexpected defeats in World Cups, including a recent upset against Afghanistan in Chennai during the ODI World Cup.
Former captain Ramiz Raja has called for unity and resilience. “That will be the biggest incentive. The New York conditions are a lottery and present Pakistan a good opportunity against a stronger side,” remarked the former Pakistan captain and former board chief. While it’s not ideal for conditions to dictate the outcome rather than the quality of cricket, nothing is ever ideal in an India-Pakistan contest.
While India has been settled in New York since arriving in the USA, playing their warm-up match and first group game there, Pakistan’s preparation has been different. They arrived in New York early Friday morning, switched hotels to avoid the lengthy commute Sri Lanka faced, and saw the ground for the first time on the eve of the match.
So, here we go again. India appears stable; Pakistan, not so much. It’s often been this way leading up to the most anticipated fixture of the World Cup.
India vs Pakistan: Form Guide
India WWWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan LLLWW
India vs Pakistan: Pitch Conditions
Expect a high-octane contest with intense emotions both on the field and in the stands. Despite India being the favorites with their stronger batting line-up, reputation, form, and track record hold little significance in an India-Pakistan clash. The pitch is expected to favor fast bowlers, making a high-scoring game unlikely, but the match will still be fiercely competitive.
The rapid construction of an international cricket stadium on park land in New York has resulted in substandard quality drop-in pitches, which were grown in Florida and transported to the city.
South Africa bowled out Sri Lanka for 77 on pitch No. 1 and chased down the target with some difficulty. Two days later, India dismissed Ireland for 96 on pitch No. 4. In that match, Harry Tector, Rohit Sharma, and Rishabh Pant were struck on the body due to unpredictable bounce, exaggerated seam movement, and a slow outfield, making run-scoring extremely challenging. Following widespread criticism, the ICC acknowledged the issues and announced efforts to find a solution.
On Friday, Canada became the first team to score over 100 in New York, defending their total of 137 by 12 runs against Ireland on pitch No. 4. South Africa played the Netherlands on a fresh surface, pitch No. 2, on Saturday. The Netherlands scored only 103 for 9, but South Africa struggled to 12 for 4 before eventually winning by four wickets. David Miller noted that pitch No. 2 played better than pitch No. 1. Therefore, India and Pakistan are likely to play on either pitch No. 4 or pitch No. 2.
Fast bowlers have dominated the matches in New York so far. With Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir, and Haris Rauf, and India’s Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, and Hardik Pandya, batters on both sides could face a tough challenge unless the conditions change dramatically.
The weather in New York was sunny on the eve of the match, but some weather websites have forecast showers for Sunday morning.
India vs Pakistan: Head-to-head
ndia leads 6-1 in their seven T20 World Cup encounters with Pakistan. Notably, the last five T20 World Cup matches between these two teams have all been won by the side batting second.
India vs Pakistan: Team News
India
India is likely to field the same XI that defeated Ireland by eight wickets with 46 balls remaining.
The Rohit Sharma-Rahul Dravid duo is not expected to alter their four-pronged pace attack. One potential change could be the inclusion of Kuldeep Yadav, who has an impressive record against Pakistan, in place of Axar Patel, though this seems unlikely.
Rizwan and Babar’s vulnerability against left-arm spin is well-known. They strike at only 116 and 107.2 against left-arm spinners, respectively, and have lost their wickets to them 7 and 6 times in all T20Is. India might consider giving Axar Patel the new ball for an over or two to seek an early breakthrough.
India’s Predicted XI:
- Rohit Sharma (Capt.)
- Virat Kohli
- Suryakumar Yadav
- Shivam Dube
- Rishabh Pant (wk)
- Hardik Pandya
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Axar Patel
- Arshdeep Singh
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Mohammed Siraj
Pakistan
Coach Gary Kirsten, who was recently in India, is well-acquainted with the Indian players and might devise a strategy to overcome India’s dominance over their arch-rivals. Known for his motivational skills, Kirsten will be crucial for a Pakistan team looking for inspiration after their unexpected loss to the US in the first game. Despite being a key player, Shadab Khan’s position might be in question due to the lack of assistance for spinners on the pitch. To bolster their batting lineup, top-order batsman Saim Ayub could be considered.
Imad Wasim missed Pakistan’s game against the USA due to a rib-cage injury, but head coach Gary Kirsten confirmed that he is now fit and will play against India. Azam Khan, who was dismissed for a golden duck in Dallas, might be dropped.
Indian openers Rohit Sharma (SR: 121.21) and Virat Kohli (SR: 103.10) have been dismissed 13 and 4 times, respectively, by left-arm seamers in PowerPlays in T20Is since 2016, making their match-up against Afridi and Amir particularly intriguing.
Pakistan’s Predicted XI:
- Babar Azam (Capt.)
- Mohammad Rizwan (wk)
- Usman Khan
- Fakhar Zaman
- Azam Khan
- Iftikhar Ahmed
- Shadab Khan/Saim Ayub
- Shaheen Afridi
- Naseem Shah
- Mohammad Amir
- Haris Rauf
India vs Pakistan: Players Under Spotlight
India- Shivam Dube
India selected Shivam Dube for the XI mainly to disrupt spin in the middle overs as a left-hander. However, he isn’t expected to face much spin against Pakistan. Historically, Dube wasn’t strong against fast bowling, but he improved significantly with the Chennai Super Kings, averaging 44 with a strike rate of 164 against pace in IPL 2024. If he can perform well against Afridi, Naseem, Rauf, and Amir, he will silence any doubts about his ability to handle fast bowling.
Pakistan- Babar Azam
Babar Azam had a dismal performance against the USA: scoring 4 off 14 balls in the powerplay, taking 24 balls to hit his first boundary, and eventually getting out for 44 off 43 just when Pakistan needed him to maintain the momentum he had only recently gained. Additionally, he failed to rally his team in the field, leading to a series of blunders and an embarrassing defeat. Having stepped down as captain in November and then reinstated in March, Babar’s leadership may face intense scrutiny if Pakistan doesn’t perform well on Sunday.
Where To Watch The T20 World Cup Live in India? Streaming Details
Cricket enthusiasts can catch the live action of the T20 World Cup 2024 matches via free live streaming on Disney+ Hotstar on mobile devices in India. Additionally, the T20 WC cricket matches will be broadcasted live on Star Sports and DD Sports TV channels across the country.
